Whip, Flip, and Serve

1. Crack 2-3 eggs into a medium high-sided bowl or transfer to cup attachment of a milk shake machine. (For an even puffier omelette, separate the eggs, whip the whites until soft peaks form, and fold egg whites into beaten yolks.)

Photo Credit: Larry Nighswander

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2. Beat eggs with handheld mixer (or in a milk shake mixer, as pictured) on high speed until eggs are pale, frothy, and have tripled in volume, about 2 minutes.

Photo Credit: Larry Nighswander

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3. Swirl vegetable oil in an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat to coat sides. Pour in eggs and let sit until they begin to set on the bottom of the skillet, about 20 seconds.

Photo Credit: Larry Nighswander

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4. Season with salt and vigorously shake the skillet back and forth to distribute the eggs, knocking them off the edge of the skillet; continue shaking over medium-high heat for about 1 minute and 30 seconds.

Photo Credit: Larry Nighswander

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5. Using a flick of the wrist (or a rubber spatula), flip the omelette and cook until set on other side, about 30 seconds.

Photo Credit: Larry Nighswander

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6. Top it with a slice or two of american cheese, slide omelette onto a plate, and fold in half using your fingers as a guide.

In the minds of many devoted patrons, the signature dish of the Waffle House restaurant chain (see Welcome Home) is not the waffles; it's the omelette, a fluffy and deeply satisfying marvel. The secret to the omelette's puffiness? "A milk shake machine," says Edwin Johnson, a cook at a Waffle House in East Point, Georgia. The machine's high-powered blades, Johnson says, whip and aerate the eggs into a froth. Back in our test kitchen, we achieved similar results using a handheld electric mixer.

1. Crack 2–3 eggs into a medium high-sided bowl or transfer to cup attachment of a milk shake machine. (For an even puffier omelette, separate the eggs, whip the whites until soft peaks form, and fold egg whites into beaten yolks.)

2. Beat eggs with handheld mixer (or in a milk shake mixer, as pictured) on high speed until eggs are pale, frothy, and have tripled in volume, about 2 minutes.

3. Swirl 1 tbsp. vegetable oil in an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat to coat sides. Pour in eggs and let sit until they begin to set on the bottom of the skillet, about 20 seconds.

4. Season with 1/2 tsp. kosher salt and vigorously shake the skillet back and forth to distribute the eggs, knocking them off the edge of the skillet; continue shaking over medium-high heat for about 1 minute and 30 seconds.

5. Using a flick of the wrist (or a rubber spatula), flip the omelette and cook until set on other side, about 30 seconds.

6. Top it with a slice or two of american cheese, slide omelette onto a plate, and fold in half using your fingers as a guide. Makes 1 omelette.

For step-by-step photos on how to make fluffy omelettes, check out our slideshow above!